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Lufthansa cuts its profit outlook, IndiGo considers shifting international growth and Delta challenges a Heathrow terminal move.
Lufthansa has cut the top end of its annual earnings forecast as higher jet-fuel costs continue to weigh on European airlines. In India, IndiGo is considering bringing forward growth in other international markets after disruption to westbound services. Delta, meanwhile, has publicly challenged Heathrow’s plan to move it away from the terminal it shares with Virgin Atlantic.
Lufthansa narrows full-year profit guidance despite a strong summer quarter
Lufthansa Group reduced its 2026 adjusted operating profit outlook on Tuesday 3 November to between €1.7 billion and €2 billion, from between €1.7 billion and €2.2 billion. Fuel expenses at its airlines were more than €400 million higher than a year earlier, leaving the group less room to absorb further increases before the end of the year.
Third-quarter operating profit was approximately €1.4 billion, modestly ahead of market expectations. Demand for premium cabins and travel to Asia and North America remained strong. Lufthansa expects overall capacity to be flat this year. The narrower forecast does not mean the airline group made a loss during the summer quarter: it reflects the greater pressure on the months still to come.
Sources: Lufthansa Group, nine-month financial report, 3 November 2026; Reuters, 3 November 2026.
IndiGo considers faster expansion elsewhere as western routes remain disrupted
IndiGo could move some planned international growth forward as restrictions affecting westbound flying continue, chief executive Willie Walsh said in New Delhi on Monday. Pakistan’s airspace remains closed to Indian carriers, while security disruption in Saudi Arabia has led IndiGo to cut about 30 flights a day. Walsh said nearly all its other services had been restored.
Asia-Pacific and Australasian destinations are among the markets under consideration, but the airline has not identified specific new routes or committed to an accelerated timetable. IndiGo has also ended its leased Boeing 787 operation with Norse Atlantic, citing a combination of high fuel costs, airspace restrictions and currency pressures. The proposed shift is therefore an option, not an announced network overhaul.
Source: Reuters, IndiGo chief executive’s comments, 2 November 2026.
Delta objects to Heathrow terminal move that would separate it from Virgin Atlantic
Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian criticised Heathrow Airport’s decision to move the US carrier’s operations to Terminal 4, away from the terminal it currently shares with joint-venture partner Virgin Atlantic. Speaking on Monday 2 November, Bastian argued that the plan would be detrimental to customers.
The intervention adds Delta’s own objection to the continuing debate over Heathrow’s terminal allocation. The report did not establish when the move would take effect or precisely how connections between the partners would be handled. Passengers should not assume that a terminal change has already taken place; their airline’s current booking information remains the practical reference.
Source: Reuters, Delta chief executive’s statement, 2 November 2026.
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